


Deny At Your Own Risk

by mattzerella_sticks



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cas and Dean are dating, College Student Sam Winchester, Dean and Sam share an apartment, Established Relationship, Except no one believes it, Except no one believes them, Flustered Sam, Humor, M/M, Morning After, Party, Sam Winchester Walks in on Castiel/Dean Winchester, Sam's POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 05:05:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17380130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mattzerella_sticks/pseuds/mattzerella_sticks
Summary: Sam thinks he has a pretty good read on people. The longer he's around them, the better. So that's why when Dean says he and Cas have been dating for months, he knows that can't be true. Because a relationship - one between his brother and his brother's best friend - would not be something to escape his notice. Even if his nose has been buried in books for the past few months.Except Dean doesn't let it drop. Just what lengths will he have to go to prove he isn't lying? And does anyone really believe he and Cas are in a relationship?





	Deny At Your Own Risk

**Author's Note:**

> So I had this idea on the back burner for a while, and I wanted to write. Except the project I'm currently working on wasn't giving me any ideas, so I needed a break and picked this up. And completely changed everything except the thought 'people don't believe we're dating!?!'
> 
> On that note... enjoy!

            It’s a late Saturday afternoon in the Winchester’s shared apartment. Sam, having finished his last exam on Thursday, decided the last thing he wanted was a quiet night in. Instead, he invited all his friends over for some much needed catch up time. He’s sorting out the snacks when he hears Dean’s bedroom door open.

            “Jeez, Sam,” he says from behind, “I know it’s your cheat day but try a little portion control?”

            Sam rolls his eyes, spinning to face his brother. Any retort dies immediately when he notices how his brother is dressed. Dean tracks his gaze, looking down self-consciously. “What? You don’t like it?”

            “No – no it’s… just a bit _much_ for tonight, don’t you think?” He motions to his own clothes, a faded pair of sweatpants and a purple hoodie. It’s a sharp contrast to the green and pink plaid button-down and black jeans on his brother. ‘ _They’re very… **tight**._’ “Are you sure you’re going to be comfortable in that?”

            “Tonight’s not about _comfort_ ,” he tells Sam, passing him by, “Besides, _I_ think it looks nice.”

            “Come on, Dean, who are you trying to impress? We all don’t care how you look.”

            Dean pauses, one hand already on his leather jacket. He turns to Sam. “Uh… what are you talking about?”

            Sam’s eyes dip behind his eyelids once more. “Come on, really? Our hangout? The one with all our _friends_? To celebrate me finally rejoining you all in the land of freedom?”

            “It’s not _my_ fault your career choice involves more _school_.”

            “You can’t tell me you forgot.”

            Dean shifts on his feet. “I… might have.”

            “Dude –“

            “Listen, it’s not that I wanted to. But Cas –“

            “Cas? You’re going to meet Cas?”

            He glares at Sam. “Yeah? What of it?”

            “Just tell him to come here! I mean, he’s our friend, too!” His solution is met with a snort of disbelief. “What? You two too _good_ to hang out with us?”

            “Seriously Sammy?” Dean scoffs, “Why don’t you get off your high horse, you’re tall enough as is. Sorry if I don’t wanna cancel my date with Cas tonight, you’ll get over it.”

            “Cancel your –“ Sam trails off, gaping at him. He can only watch Dean, shrugging into his jacket, brain too preoccupied processing his brother’s words. “Your… your date?”

            “Yeah, our _date_ ,” he repeats himself, “Which we’re gonna be late to if I don’t leave in the next few minutes. I still have to pick him up –“

            “Dean, I can’t… I can’t…” Sam crosses his arms, “I can’t believe you would go so low as to use _that_ as an excuse on skipping out tonight!”

            “…Come again?”

            “I mean really ‘ _our date_ ’?” He dramatically emphasizes with finger quotes, smirking. “This is probably a worse lie than the one you told when I found those panties in your laundry pile –“

            “I told you those were _Rhonda_ ’s and I wasn’t lying!” He’s blushing, standing in front of Sam. “Just like I’m not now. Why is it so unbelievable to you that Cas and I could have a date? We’ve been dating for _months!_ ”

            “Doubling down? Classic Dean Winchester move…”

            “Seriously?” Dean groans, scrubbing both hands down his face. He takes a deep breath. “We’re dating, Sam. I don’t know why you find it so hard to believe…”

            “Because I know what dating looks like, Dean,” he says, “and you and Cas… you two are the _least_ couple-y people I know! You guys act more like brothers than people in a relationship.”

            Dean steps back, breaking eye contact with his little brother. He rubs at his arm, pouting. “Hey,” he says, softly, “It’s… I’m working on it. I swear…” Clearing his throat, Dean looks back up at Sam with a burning heat. Like someone set the forest of his eyes on fire. “Just because we don’t call each other pet names or – or go overboard with PDA _don_ ’t mean we’re not a couple.”

            It’s almost convincing. ‘ _Almost_.’ “Look,” Sam says, waving his hand, “You and Cas wanna go hang out? Fine by me. But next time, tell me the truth, all right?”

            “I was telling you the – _ugh_ I so don’t want to get into this again!” He spins on his heel towards the door, wrenching it open. Charlie stands on the other side, fist raised, shock painted across her features. “Later, Charles.” He storms past her and down the hall.

            She closes the door behind her. “What got into his shorts?”

            Sam snorts. “He’s upset because I didn’t buy his story as to _why_ he’s not joining us tonight.”

            “He’s not coming back?”

            “No – and Cas isn’t coming _either_.”

            “Really?” She glances over at the door, frowning. “Is that who Dean was going to meet?” Sam hums his answer, two notes that translate to ‘yes’. “Do they have anything against us? I don’t remember doing something that would make one of them mad…”

            “Nah,” Sam says, “They had other plans.” He leans in close to her, whispering, “A _date_.”

            “They’re blowing us off for a date?” she asks, “What? Are they twins? Because Dean promised me the next time he meets twins _I_ was going to be his wingman.”

            “No, no… they’re going on the date… with _each other._ ”

            She blinks. “What?”

            “You heard me.”

            “But… it’s not a date if they’re _just_ hanging out.”

            “So get this, then,” he continues, “It _is_ a date because he says they _are_ dating!”

            Charlie’s mouth drops open a bit. “Dean and Cas… _dating_?”

            “Yep?”

            “That’s… not possible.” She shakes her head. “Like, _highly_ impossible. Those two are like… the _last_ people I’d ever see getting together. Like, I get that Cas is dreamy but… I don’t see it? I mean just the other day I saw them arguing over whether or not ketchup was healthy because it’s made from tomatoes.”

            Sam sighs. “Dean is _still_ pushing that? No, never mind… but yeah, I didn’t believe him either. I mean – I’ve been around the two. Never saw them kiss, cuddle, _hell_ I’ve never even seen Dean hold Cas’s hand. When he was with Lisa or Cassie… even _Abby_ , I always managed to catch them doing… _something_. One time, when he was with Anna, I accidentally walked in on them having _sex._ ”

            “Get out!”

            “I wish I did,” he tells her, “But I was frozen to the spot. It took Dean tossing his ratty underwear at me to knock me back to my senses.”

            “I’m surprised that didn’t plain knock you out,” Charlie laughs, “Especially if Dean landed a direct hit!” They share a chuckle, falling back onto the nearby couch. “But seriously, why would Dean say that? There are probably a million other excuses he could have come up with. I mean – even a regular date. Why Cas?”

            “Maybe to get Cas out of coming, too? I did invite him after all. It’d be weird of Dean to say that and then Cas show up – unless Cas _does_ show up, and even _he_ didn’t know about his excuse.”

            “A lousy excuse if you ask me,” Charlie says, “Dean knows that staring isn’t enough to constitute a healthy, romantic relationship.”

            “Even with the amount they do, it’s still not believable…” Sam thinks back on all the times he caught his brother and brother’s best friend. The intensity was always a bit much, as if the air was charged with crackling electricity, Dean and Cas at the center of it. But never did Sam think it had anything to do with romance. “Whatever, so they’re not coming? Big deal… Forget them, right?”

            Sam couldn’t. Because as each guest arrived, they all had the same question: “Where’s Dean?” And Sam would have to explain yet again why Dean – and by extension Cas – was not there. This would then lead to even more disbelief and rousing discussion, until the entire night was dominated by the total non-possibility of a relationship between the two men.

            “Dean and Cas?” Jo asked, “Those two dating would be like tossing a lit match into an oil well.”

            “Dean’s not one for relationships… and Cas?” Kevin scoffed, “Guy’s never really _been_ in a relationship.”

            “Listen, even if those two did stumble into something more, it wouldn’t last long,” Benny told them all, “I mean – I was the only one who was with the two in Purgatory during Spring Break. Cas was wilier than a gator, and they got into that big fight! He stayed, sulking, while I dragged ol’ Dean out of there… Boy was liquored up like no tomorrow.”

            The night went on like that for a long, long time. 

* * *

            Sam woke up, a crick in his neck from having been wedged between Charlie and Meg. He groans, pulling himself out from them, stretching every ache out. Standing, Sam surveys the wreckage from the hangout. No one left, having found different parts of his floor and furniture to stretch themselves out on when alcohol and tiredness finally became too much, and they succumbed.

            “Too early to deal with all this,” he mumbles, stepping over the bodies, “Maybe a quick nap and then…” Sam makes his way back to his room, groggily rubbing at his eyes.

            He opens the door, hitting the light switch, only to hear a rough groan coming from his bed. “Dude,” Dean grumbles, squinting at him, “What are you doing in my room?”

            “Dean?” Sam asks, “When did you get back? And why are you in _my_ room?”

            “Your room? No this is…” he looks around, taking in his surroundings. “Oh, shit… _your_ room.”

            “Yeah,” Sam says, “So could you please…” He jerks his thumb towards the exit.

            Dean chuckles, fisting the sheets over him. “No can do Sammy… not while you’re still in the room.”

            “Come on, Dean. My back’s in a shape I didn’t think was possible and –“

            “Sam, could you please be quiet,” Cas pokes his head out from under the covers, “You’re only making my headache _worse_.”

            He can’t speak. Sam, now fully awake, casts his wide eyes between his brother and his brother’s – ‘ _Boyfriend? It can’t…_ ’ – mouth forming words, unable to vocalize them. His mind works overtime processing Dean and Cas and the bed, as well as the clothes he’s now noticing strewn over his floor. ‘ _Dean’s pink and green plaid, Cas’s trademark trench coat._ ’ Cas watches, unimpressed, as Sam’s fish impression continues.

            Dean smirks. “So, Sam… is this couple-y enough for you?”

            They lock eyes. He winks and nestles his head even onto Cas’s shoulder. Cas, still grumpy and confused, grumbles, “What are you talking about, Dean?”

            “Babe, I told you all this before at dinner…”

            “But – you and – and he,” Sam finally speaks, pointing now at the two of them, “I can’t… you two did it… in _my_ bed!?!” That was the push he needed. Sam flies from the room, slamming the door closed on his way out.

            He strides into the kitchen on a mission. ‘ _This… I can’t handle this right now. I need coffee. Coffee and **bleach**._’

**Author's Note:**

> I will always and forever say that Sam is such an interesting character to write the POV for, especially when it's explaining Cas and Dean's dynamic.
> 
> Drop a kudos/comment


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